My life away from Integra largely revolves around family, music and sport
In 2024 I played at 34 open mic night gigs at 5 different venues and a couple of longer solo slots at Blues at the Tropic and the Chalfont St Peter Feast Day event.
It has been great fun and I highly value the comeraderie and support of everyone who organises, attends and plays – there is certainly an impressive selection of talent on show at each gig.
It has also given me the opportunity to use many of my guitars in a live environment – after all, they are meant to be played!
Special thanks to Matt Bond and Paul King who have organised the open mic events and graciously allowed me to perform and, in most instances, subject the audiences to my own material!
I’d also like to thank Keith Thompson and Patsy Gamble for allowing me to be the support at the aforementioned Tropic at Ruislip gig organised by Derek White who also kindly gave me the opportunity to play last year supporting Robin Bibi and his Big Band.
Incredibly it is three years this week since my successful triple heart bypass and I remain immensely grateful to the medical team, my family and friends for their support.
It certainly changed my outlook and priorities in life and I am having a ball having rekindled my love of writing and playing and performing live.
I’ve written quite a few songs this year as well as resurrecting some old ones. The open mic gigs have provided a perfect environment in which to gain direct audience feedback and to finesse the tunes and my delivery.
I have plenty of musical ambitions for 2025 and look forward to building on foundations already laid.
I have attended a number of gigs recently including seeing Stuart Maxwell’s Big River Band, Stray, The Blue Bishops, The Hitman Blues Band, Big Wolf Band, The David Sinclair Four and Wishbone Ash.
I have many gigs booked to attend in 2025 including eleven(!) Wishbone Ash shows – four in France in March when Susan and myself will make a road trip to Carcassonne taking in gigs in Carmaux, La Rochelle, Brest and Cleon as part of our route back.
In September and October we will see Wishbone Ash shows at Chester (two as part of the Ashcon event), Harpenden, Milton Keynes, Basingstoke and two in Wimborne.
On the football front, this season is looking better than might have been expected with Tom Cleverley doing a great job as Watford head coach and the team on the edge of the play-offs – let’s hope they can push on in the second half of the season and have a real tilt at getting back into the Premier League.
